Chapter 7

(Lily’s Pov)

I stepped out of the house feeling all refreshed. Just in front of our building, I was lucky enough to see a taxi that just dropped off a passenger.

I know I’m beautiful but the way the taxi driver looked at me in admiration made me feel embarrassed even when I was supposed to be happy.

“Hello pretty, at your service” the dark skinned and well looking young man who sat on a driver’s seat in the taxi said to me.

Not all of these taxi drivers were kind enough to compliment their passengers, some would insult you or charge you more than what you’re supposed to pay if they had the chance., so I was a bit surprised when the young man complimented me.

“I’m going to City Hospital’ I said not looking at his face and pointing to the direction that led to the City Hospital.

“Hop in ma’am” He opened the door for me and gave me a “go ahead and enter” gesture with his head. That was quite strange.

I couldn’t remember the last time I boarded a taxi, it has been ages, Mum drove me to school until she died then Dad took over and drove me to school till I graduated.

He had bought one car for me, although not for me because he bluntly refused that I shouldn’t drive myself instead I should get a driver. So basically the car was for my former driver, my mood changed immediately and I squeezed my face because each time I remember how hard I begged my dad to let me drive myself and yet he refused it would make me angry.

“You good?” the observant taxi driver who has been looking at my face through his mirror without my notice asked me.

I looked at him to be sure he was referring to me because usually, people mind their businesses when in a public transport, so how come he cares about my mood.

“Oh! Sorry ma’am, I just hope you’re good”

“Why do you care?” even if I didn’t ask the way I looked at him was enough to understand what was going on in my mind.

“We don’t see pretty girls every day, and when we do, we don’t like seeing them look sad” At this point he actually tasted my patience, I mean I just wanted to feel sad and get over my past but then a total stranger wouldn’t let me.

“So people aren’t allowed to feel sad anymore?” I really prayed hard in my heart he doesn’t misunderstand me from the tone of my voice but then he didn’t disappoint.

“Not for a pretty girl like you, Beautiful girls don’t feel sad” I would tell that I had butterflies in my belly when he said that, I raised my eyes and looked direct into the mirror to admire my beautiful self but then our eyes locked. Looking at each other in the mirror I quickly remembered how Austin showered me with lots of love and every beautiful thing we shared before he betrayed me with my best friend.

How easily people fall in love, thank God for the traffic green light that signaled that we can move since we’ve patiently been waiting for our turn.

We both looked away and didn’t talk to each other again. I was embarrassed at this point, I felt like he was flirting with me but then I couldn’t get mad at him because he was doing it in a polite manner.

The atmosphere was becoming cloudy at though it wanted to rain, while some people were hurrying to get to wherever they were going, some were walking gently as if they didn’t care about the weather. Me on the other hand didn’t care at all, I’m in a taxi and will enter the hospital as soon as the taxi dropped me. All I cared about was to go see my Dad.

As we drove closer to the hospital, the gentle beats of Hillsong worship music started to play in the taxi. 

“Isn’t it too much for one taxi, the compliments, the questions and now the music” I haven’t even finished analyzing the whole thing when I noticed him humming and shaking his body to the beats of the music. He slowly started singing and I as sat there I was amazed and inspired at same time.

Hillsong music are usually soul lifting and it lifted mine at that moment seeing the way he blended his voice with the music. I would’ve joined at that moment if I knew how to sing the particular music he was singing but I sat at the passenger’s seat and pretended not to be enjoying the whole thing.

The hospital is just some minutes away and didn’t think I would be able to endure how my feet hurts inside my shoe, I slowly bent and removed my shoe and carefully positioned my feet on them. “now I’m comfortable”.

It was such a beautiful sight to behold as I looked out of the window and saw a group of people who gathered to appreciate a young boy playing guitar with so much enthusiasm and joy, one can actually tell how happy he was with the way he smiled and danced whilst playing his guitar.

“it takes just little things to be happy”.

At that point I wished I would be as happy as this young boy, even though he doesn’t look rich, he looked so happy and satisfied. I almost asked the taxi driver thinking he was my personal driver to stop by so I can enjoy his music before I realized myself and gave a heavy sigh to relief myself.

As we drove past the scene I resorted back to listening to the one being played in the taxi. It wasn’t long enough and it finished playing.

“Fela Kuty?” I asked him as the next song on the play list started playing and it was that of Fela.

“are you a fan?” he asked with surprises written all over his face.

“My entire family is a fan, we love Fela’s music” I said while shaking my body and singing along with the music. I guess it’s now my turn to sing and dance. He felt left out just the way I did while he was enjoying that of Hillsong even though I enjoyed that too.

“Ooooooookay!” he exclaimed as he increased the volume of the song for me. Even though he didn’t like the song, one could tell he was enjoying the way I was flowing with the song.

“Fela to the world” “I love Fela” I shouted, throwing my hands up in the air.

“I love him too” he added and we both laughed so hard.

Scru sruuu scruuu scruuuuuuu that was the sound of his break pad, as he slowly lowered the speed of his taxi making a spiral like movement until he finally stopped.

“Here we are ma’am” he said looking back to look at my face.

“oooooh, we’re here already? so fast? Why not?” 

I wasn’t ready to come down of the taxi because I was busy enjoying my Fela music, I don’t know why he didn’t play it first. I didn’t bother bending down for my shoes, I used my hand to trace each of my foot in them.

I opened the door and carried my father’s food and was about hoping out of the taxi.

“do you need any help”

“no, thank you, I’m good” even though I didn’t know whether he was serious about the help thing but I rebuffed the offer.

I paid him for the ride and headed into the hospital for my day.

“call me whenever you want to go round the world” his voice was so loud that the pedestrians heard him clearly.

“how can I even call you when I don’t have your number?” I muttered and smiled to myself at same time.

It was a wonderful ride anyway.